English in a Minute: Luck of the Draw

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Lesson 16: Where Are You From?

Summary Anna interviews tourists on the National Mall in Washington, DC. She learns about where they are from and the languages they speak. Speaking In this video, you can learn to say the new words. Learn how to say your country and nationality. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about countries and nationalities with a friend.​ Pronunciation ​In this video, you ​learn about how English speakers say, "a couple of."  Conversation   Anna: Hello! Washington, D.C. has many tourists! People from different countries come here. Today, my job is to interview tourists. I have to learn why they come here. This is very exciting! Excuse me. I’m Anna Matteo from The News. Do you have time for an interview? Sabrina: Sure, I have time. Anna: What is your name? Sabrina: My name is Sabrina. Anna: What country are you from? Sabrina: I’m from Bangladesh. Anna: So, you are Bangladeshi. Sabrina: That’s right! My nationality is Bangladeshi. Anna: Do you like Washington, D.C.? Sabrina: Yes! The city is very beautiful! Anna: What do you like to do in Washington D.C.? Sabrina: I like history. So, I like walking around and looking at all the monuments and memorials. They make history come alive! Anna: Washington has many monuments and memorials. The Washington Monument is behind us! Which is your favorite? Sabrina: I really like Lincoln Memorial. It is very beautiful. And it feels like Abraham Lincoln is still alive.    Anna: Awesome. Thank you for your time, Sabrina! Sabrina: You’re welcome. Anna: Let’s find another tourist. Anna: Oh! Excuse me. I am Anna Matteo from The News. Do you have time for a couple of questions? Louis: Sure! Anna: Are you from Washington, D.C.? Louis: No, I’m not. Anna: What is your name and where are you from? Louis: My name is Louis. And I’m from China. Anna: What languages do you speak? Louis: I speak Chinese and English. Anna: What do you like about Washington DC? Louis: I like the museums. I really like the art museums. Anna: Many of the museums are free. Louis: I like that too! Anna: Awesome! Thanks for your time, Louis. Louis: You’re very welcome. Bye! Anna: Now, let’s find another tourist! Anna: Hello! I am Anna Matteo from The News. Do you have time to answer a couple of questions? Mehrnoush: Sure! Anna: What is your name and where’re you from? Mehrnoush: My name is Mehrnoush. I am from Iran. I’m Iranian. Anna: What language do they speak in Iran? Is it Persian? Mehrnoush: They speak Farsi. Anna: What do you like to do in Washington DC? Mehrnoush: Well, I like learning about government and politics. Anna: Washington has many politicians! Mehrnoush: It does! I want to see the U.S. Capitol. Anna: Look, you are very near. Mehrnoush: I am! Anna: Have fun! Mehrnoush: Thanks! Anna: There you have it. Tourists from all over the world come to Washington, D.C. They all like doing and seeing different things in the city. This is Anna Matteo reporting for The News. Until next time! Anna: Is that okay? Awesome! Now, I want to do my favorite thing in the city … ride the carousel!     Writing Where are you from? What languages do you speak? What do you like to do when you travel? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice writing and talking about countries and nationalities with a friend.   Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Monitor. We monitor to check on what we hear and say when we are speaking and listening in English. Here is an example from this lesson's conversation. Anna asks, "What country are you from?" She monitors to make sure Sabrina understands the question. Sabrina answers, "I’m from Bangladesh." Now, Anna knows that Sabrina understands the question.  Anna thinks she knows how to say Sabrina's nationality. She tries it: "So, you are Bangladeshi." Anna is listening to monitor what Sabrina says. Anna is not sure: is "Bangladeshi" the right way to say Sabrina's nationality? Some people use the word, "Bengali" to say this nationality.   Sabrina answers, "That’s right! My nationality is Bangladeshi." In Anna's mind, she monitors her understanding. She thinks, "I can say Bangladeshi for the nationality of a person from Bangladesh." How do you monitor when learning English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.   Quiz Anna asks the tourists many questions. Can you choose the right question for each person? See how well you understand the lesson by taking this short quiz.  ​______________________________________________________________ New Words ​Abraham Lincoln – n. the 16th President of the United States alive – adj. living; not dead art – n. something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings carousel – n. a machine or device with a moving belt or part that carries things around in a circle country – n. an area of land that is controlled by its own government couple – n. two (things) or a few (things) favorite – n. a person or a thing that is liked more than others free – adj. not costing any money government – n. the group of people who control and make decisions for a country, state, etc. history – n. the study of past events memorial – n. something (such as a monument or ceremony) that honors a person who has died or serves as a reminder of an event in which many people died monument – n. a building, statue, etc., that honors a person or event museum – n. a building in which interesting and valuable things (such as paintings and sculptures or scientific or historical objects) are collected and shown to the public nationality – n. the fact or status of being a member or citizen of a particular nation question – n. a sentence, phrase, or word that asks for information or is used to test someone's knowledge politics – n. activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government ride – v. to sit on and control the movements of (a horse, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.) tourist – n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure U.S. Capitol – n. the building in which the U.S. Congress meets in Washington, D.C. Countries/Nationalities/Languages Bangladesh – n. a country in Asia Bangladeshi – n. a native or inhabitant of Bangladesh. adj. of, relating to, or characteristic of Bangladesh or its people. China - n. People's Republic of, a country in E Asia. Chinese - n.  the standard language of China, based on the speech of Beijing; Mandarin; a native or descendant of a native of China. adj. of or relating to China, its inhabitants, or one of their languages​ Iran - n. a republic in SW Asia. Iranian - adj. of or relating to Iran, its inhabitants, or their language; of or relating to the Iranian languages. n. a subbranch of the Indo-European family of languages, an inhabitant of Iran; Persian.​ Farsi - n.​ the modern Iranian language of Iran and western Afghanistan, written in the Arabic alphabet; modern Persian.​ Persian – adj. of or relating to ancient and recent Persia (now Iran), its people, or their language. n. a member of the native peoples of Iran; the principal language of Iran and western Afghanistan, in its historical and modern forms. ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials   Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice talking about nationalities  and languages.   For Teachers ​See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Nationality and language names used as nouns and adjectives Topics: Countries and Nationalities; Tourism activities Learning Strategy: Monitor (comprehension and production) Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Talking about countries, languages, and nationalities; Saying "a couple of" quickly ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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Abraham Lincoln: Martyr

VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are talking about Abraham Lincoln. He was the 16th president of the United States. Many Americans consider him one of country’s greatest leaders. Yet people alive when Lincoln was elected in 1860 would probably be surprised by modern-day opinions about him. He had little formal education or government experience. During the presidential campaign, critics made fun of his appearance and his simple way of talking. They warned that he was not very intelligent and would harm the nation’s image. Some of his opponents – especially in Southern states – had even bigger concerns. They were afraid Lincoln would use the power of the federal government to end slavery in their states. They were right. Early life Abraham Lincoln was born in the frontier state of Kentucky. His family was very poor and had a simple home: a log cabin. Lincoln had to support his parents and his sister by working, so he rarely went to school. Instead, he taught himself by reading books. Eventually, he became a lawyer in the state of Illinois. As a young man, Lincoln was known for several qualities. He was tall and thin. He was very strong – his neighbors remembered him cutting down trees. And he was honest. The people he defended in court called him “Honest Abe.” In time, Lincoln was elected to the Illinois General Assembly, the state’s legislature. He also served one term as a congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives. But he was not popular there. Voters did not like his opposition to the country’s war with Mexico. So Lincoln withdrew from politics and turned his attention to his family. He had married a Southern belle named Mary Todd in 1842. They had four sons. But two died when they were very young. Lincoln also developed his legal career representing railroad companies. Some people thought he might become the best railroad lawyer in the country. But that is not what happened. Election of 1860 In the 1850s, Lincoln returned to national politics. The division over the issue of slavery was deepening. Lincoln was not an anti-slavery activist, an abolitionist. But he did not support the country’s policies on slavery. Lincoln believed slavery violated the American Declaration of Independence, which said all men had the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To be clear, Lincoln did not believe that black people should have the same rights as white U.S. citizens. But he did not agree that one person should own other people, or profit from their work while they earned nothing and were held captive. Lincoln decided to compete in elections for a seat in the U.S. Senate. He was chosen as the candidate of a new, anti-slavery party. Members called themselves Republicans. During the election campaign, Lincoln famously discussed the issue of slavery in a series of debates with Stephen Douglas, the Democratic Party’s candidate. Lincoln’s words moved some voters. But they did not earn him enough votes to get elected. So, while Douglas took the seat in the Senate, Lincoln prepared to run for president. Lincoln said that, if he were elected, he would not expand slavery to new territories in the country’s west. But he promised not to interfere with slavery in the Southern states, where it already existed. Voters in Southern, slave-holding states did not trust Lincoln. Not a single Southern state supported him in the election of 1860. But he won anyway. The support of anti-slavery Northerners gave him the presidency. In answer, seven Southern states withdrew from the Union. Four more later joined them. These states formed a new government, called the Confederate States of America – or, the Confederacy. Confederate officials chose their own president and wrote their own constitution, which permitted each state control over its own laws – especially laws that protected slavery. Confederate officials said they no longer recognized the power of the U.S. federal government, or its chief executive. As that chief executive, Lincoln would have to decide what to do. Civil War President Lincoln’s first test came a little more than a month after he was sworn-in. The event involved Fort Sumter, a federal military base on an island off the coast of South Carolina. Soldiers on the base needed food. Lincoln said he would send some by ship. But Confederate officials considered the fort part of South Carolina, which belonged to the Confederacy. They demanded that the Union soldiers leave the fort. But Union forces and the U.S. president ignored the Confederates’ demands. As promised, Lincoln sent the supply ships. As expected, Confederate soldiers attacked. A day and a half later, the fort’s Union soldiers surrendered. The clash did not last long, and no one was killed in the fighting. But the battle at Fort Sumter marked the official beginning of hostilities between the Union and the Confederacy. Lincoln immediately took action to answer the loss of Fort Sumter. He called on state militias for troops and asked for a special meeting of Congress. The president was careful not to ask Congress to make an official declaration of war, in part because he did not want to recognize the Confederacy as a separate nation. Instead, he called the Southern states’ opposition a rebellion.  However, the conflict between the Southern Confederacy and the Northern Union was a civil war. Neither side expected the fighting to last very long – a few weeks or maybe months. Instead, the Civil War lasted four and a half years. Most of the major battles took place near Washington, DC, in the states of Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Soldiers and civilians also clashed in the west, in Tennessee, as well as in the southern states of Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia.  But the war involved the entire country. At least 4 million men fought in it. Among the soldiers were African-American and Native-American men. The conflict divided families. Brothers, fathers and sons fought against each other. Women in both the North and South also supported the war effort. They cooked meals, made and repaired clothing for the troops, served as nurses and cared for the soldiers. Both white and African-American women also took over the work of men who had left to fight.  And more than 620,000 men died -- recent scholarship says as many as 750,000. The Civil War remains the bloodiest war in American history. And it changed the country. The war radically affected American politics, economics, and society. Abraham Lincoln was the U.S. president through all of it. Next week's article will discuss Lincoln’s presidency and legacy. I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.   Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Listening Quiz ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   formal - adj. received in a school frontier - n. a distant area where few people live cabin - n.  a small, simple house made of wood belle - n. a very attractive and popular girl or woman abolitionist - n. a person who wants to stop or abolish slavery entire - adj. complete or full; not lacking or leaving out any part nurse - n. a person who is trained to care for sick or injured people

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Saturn’s Cassini to Dive Deep, Burn Up

Millions of kilometers from Earth, the Cassini spacecraft orbits the planet Saturn. Diving in between Saturn and its famous rings, Cassini is taking pictures and using up its fuel supply. Since 2004, the unmanned spacecraft has been studying the planet. As the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn, it has sent back many close-up pictures of the planet’s surface, moons and rings. The Grande Finale Now Cassini has entered what the American space agency NASA calls The Grand Finale. It is getting ready for a final project — to dive into Saturn’s atmosphere until it burns up.   Devin Walker is with the California Space Center. Walker spoke in a large, noisy room at the center. “Scientists and engineers have decided that instead of just letting it run out of fuel on its own and then not being able to control any of its instruments, they're going to manually and intentionally de-orbit the space craft.” In other words, NASA will make Cassini crash into Saturn, on purpose. It will be the end of the spacecraft as it breaks apart while diving into the huge gaseous planet. Simple life on Enceladus? There are two reasons the space agency is doing this. When Cassini loses engine power, it will be out of control. That may mean it could cause it to hit Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Why are scientists concerned about this? Because they think Enceladus might have some extremely simple life forms. Space researchers believe they could live in an ocean inside the moon. Amina Khan is a science writer for The Los Angeles Times newspaper. She says scientists worry about contaminating the moon, and possibly endangering that life. “Scientists are afraid that it's going to crash into Enceladus and there's some potential for contamination. You don't want to contaminate a place that could potentially host life if you want to actually go there and study it someday.” And reason two that NASA is crashing the probe into the planet? Scientists hope to get up-close images of the planet that humans have been watching in the night sky since ancient times. Like the scientists, Devin Waller of the California Space Center is looking forward to the big event. “As soon as we hit the upper atmosphere the probe is going to start to fall apart. It will start to burn up, just because of the friction with the upper atmosphere, and so when the process starts, there's only a matter of time, but they're going to be sending back as much information as they can, as quickly as they can.” Cassini made space research history But even before it goes, Cassini has already won a place in space research history. Launched in 1997, it reached Saturn in 2004. Since then Cassini has done plenty to increase our understanding of the planet and its moons. It discovered seven new moons orbiting Saturn that scientists did not know about. In addition, a scientific probe from Cassini landed on Titan, one of the largest moons. And now scientists believe Titan may be like Earth, with lakes, rivers, rain, clouds, mountains and possibly volcanos. At the end of April, the spacecraft took a first-ever dive through the small space between the planet and its rings, sending pictures and scientific data back to Earth. Jim Green noted at the time, "In the grandest tradition of exploration, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has once again blazed a trail.” Green heads the American space agency’s Planetary Science Division. He added that Cassini was “showing us new wonders and demonstrating where our curiosity can take us if we dare." There were also many fly-bys — or trips around — Enceladus, the most interesting moon. Cassini found evidence of a large ocean inside the moon. Scientists say that the salty water may contain microbial life — organisms that one can see only with a microscope. They also found that the moon has a very hot-spot at its southern pole, and from its surface it shoots out ice particles into space. Recent pictures taken of the planet’s North Pole surprised scientists. They show a storm that changes color over time. For years to come, scientists will be studying the large amount of data Cassini sent back to Earth. Cassini’s work has been a joint project with the American, European and Italian space agencies. The spacecraft is set to make its dive into Saturn on September 15. I’m Anne Ball.   Anne Ball wrote this story for Learning English with information from VOA News and NASA. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. Now, test your understanding with this short quiz. ​ _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   rings – n. a round band manually – adv. operated or controlled with the hands or by a person intentionally – adv. done on purpose contamination – n. making something dangerous, dirty, or impure by adding something harmful or undesirable to it probe – n. a device that is used to obtain information from outer space and send it back to Earth friction – n. the force that causes a moving object to slow down when it is touching another object data – n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something blaze – v. to move very quickly curiosity – n. the desire to learn or know more about something or someone microbial – adj. so small it can only be seen with a microscope

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Facebook’s Fight to Block Violent and Hateful Content

In early May, Facebook said it was hiring an additional 3,000 people to identify and remove violent and hateful content. The announcement came after several people posted videos of murders and suicides that stayed on Facebook for hours. In a Facebook post, CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg called the videos “heartbreaking.” He said the new employees will work with about 4,500 existing ones to find and remove such content as quickly as possible. Facebook receives millions of reports about content each week, said Zuckerberg. In addition to humans, the company uses technical tools to identify questionable material. But with Facebook’s nearly 2 billion monthly active users, identifying and blocking banned content is difficult. Facebook rules Britain’s Guardian newspaper recently reported on Facebook’s policies for the removal of certain kinds of content. The newspaper said it gained possession of private training documents and other materials used as guidelines for Facebook employees. The documents have not been released publicly and Facebook did not comment on the Guardian report. The Guardian report says Facebook policy permits some posts containing violent language, and not others. This reportedly can depend on whether the content relates to what Facebook considers protected or non-protected people or groups.   For example, Facebook guidelines would permit a message saying, “let’s beat up fat kids.” But it would not approve a post that said, “someone shoot Trump.” The Guardian says the documents explain that the first example would be permitted because it does not represent a specific, credible threat. The second would be removed because it is seen as a direct threat against U.S. President Donald Trump. Facebook considers the president as a major public figure, a protected person. The documents explain that people can often express disagreeing opinions by threatening or calling for violence “in generally facetious and unserious ways.” The Guardian reports the documents call for videos of violent deaths to always be identified as extreme and hidden from young users. However, the videos do not have to be removed if they can bring attention to important issues such as mental illness. Images showing non-sexual physical abuse or bullying of children can also be permitted, if there is no "sadistic or celebratory element." The documents reportedly say live streams of people harming themselves can also be approved because Facebook does not want to "censor or punish people in distress." The guidelines also reportedly permit photos of animal abuse to be posted, if the most extreme images are marked as “disturbing.” Monica Bickert is Facebook’s head of global policy management. She says the company’s goal is to keep users safe, while also permitting individual free speech. "This requires a lot of thought into detailed and often difficult questions, and getting it right is something we take very seriously," she said. Free speech balance Emma Llanso is director of the Free Expression Project at the not-for-profit Center for Democracy & Technology. She says the Facebook documents show how difficult it can be for social media companies to balance free expression with content controls. “I think it can help more people understand what a challenging task we all face in figuring out what are the sorts of speech and the kinds of content that we all find acceptable on our social media services...” She said one way for social media companies to balance these issues is to provide better filtering tools for users to block content themselves. “You have got to look more to the ability for people to create their own filters or blacklists, or categories of things that they just don't want to see. That's the sort of response that really puts the power in the hand of the individual user...” Social media and terror Facebook and other social media services – including Twitter, WhatsApp and Telegram - have been criticized for not doing enough to block content linked to terrorist groups.   The recent suicide bombing in Manchester, England led some officials to repeat calls for social media companies to do more to stop terrorist activity. The British government has proposed legislation requiring social media companies to permit them access to encrypted messages sent through social media services. Thomas Zeitzoff is a professor at American University in Washington, D.C. He studies the effects of social media on conflicts. He says one problem with trying to limit terrorist activities on Facebook and Twitter is that groups usually find ways around the restrictions. “What you've seen the groups do is they've migrated to Telegram, WhatsApp and other kinds of encrypted social media applications that make it much harder for governments to track.” Even as some governments call for stricter limits on social media, they also use the services themselves to gather information on terror groups and to help with investigations. Zeitzoff says social media also publicizes attacks globally and can give terrorists a way to get their message out to the whole world. “There can be this concern that it broadens and amplifies the message and terrorizes people more. But too, it also can inspire people, because some people want to be famous or they see some kind of identification with the attacker that carried it out.” I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn reported this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on social media companies restricting the content of users? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   credible – adj. reasonable to trust or believe facetious – v. speech that is meant to be funny but that is usually considered annoying or silly bully - v. intentionally bother or frighten someone who is smaller, weaker, etc. sadistic – adj. enjoyment that someone else is hurt or feels pain censor – n. person who examines books, movies, letters, etc., to remove things considered offensive, immoral or harmful distress – n. suffering or pain affecting the body or mind disturbing – adj. something that worries or upsets you challenging – adj. difficult to do task – n. piece of work or job for someone to do figuring out – n. finding out how to understand something filter - v. software tool to prevent certain types of content from being received or seen blacklist – n. list of people or things to be avoided category – n. group of things related to each other response – n. answer or reaction to something access – n. way of getting at or near someone or something encrypted – adj. information that is electronically changed from one form to another, especially to hide its meaning amplify – v. make something stronger, louder, etc. inspire – v. make someone want to do something  

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Book Aims to Help Young Americans Understand Islam

  Middle school is a difficult time for many young people. For Amina, an attack on the Islamic Center her family attends adds to the problems she already has. And a visiting uncle from Pakistan says Amina should read the Quran more often and stop playing the piano. Anima is the main character in the fictional story, "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan. Khan was at a Washington, D.C area bookstore recently talking with children, parents, and teachers about the book. Khan hopes Amina's story will help young readers understand what it is like for a young Muslim girl to live in the United States. Khan talked with VOA about her book. ”So I think it’s really important  through storytelling and through a character that they can relate to and identify and see themselves in, and realize that, 'Ok, this little girl Amina and her family isn’t as different from mine as I thought…and her community and her friends and her family look very similar to mine.' And hopefully that helps develop more understanding and more tolerance of Muslims." Khan says that the media usually show negative actions of Muslims, so people fear their Muslim neighbors. The writer grew up near Washington, D.C. and had problems with finding a balance between being both Pakistani and American at the same time. Khan remembers a friend who wanted to change her name to one that sounded "more American." Jeanette Collier is a teacher at a local Jewish school. She plans to add the book to her school's library. “Books are the second-best way for kids to learn about other people and to gain empathy and understanding of other people who are different than they are.  Meeting those other people is the best way, making friends and having conversations, but I think our biggest challenge is getting the kids to read the books, because they go to what they know.” One of the young readers at the bookstore, Mia Endelman, told VOA what she learned from the book. "I kind of learned a little bit about Muslims, like, I didn’t know what Muslim churches, or a mosque, I didn’t know it was called that before." "Amina's Voice" is the first book published by a new publishing company, Salaam Reads. The name "Salaam" means "peace" in Arabic. Hena Khan says that finding a publisher was difficult.  Now the book is part of a series. It will show young readers "a wide variety of Muslim children and families and offer Muslim kids an opportunity to see themselves" in positive stories. Greater understanding between Americans of all religions is a goal for both the writer and publisher. "Amina's Voice" comes at a time of intense debate over issues such as immigration and concerns over extremist speech targeting religious and ethnic groups.  I'm Jill Robbins.   Yahya Albarznji wrote this story for VOA News. Jill Robbins adapted the story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   uncle – n.  the brother of your father or mother or the husband of your aunt character - n.  a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show fictional –adj. something imaginative, not literally true challenge - n. a difficult task or problem positive - adj. thinking about the good qualities of someone or something   Are there children's books in your country that help kids understand people from different cultures? What are they about? Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Risk of Colon Cancer Death Reduced with Healthy Lifestyle

  Researchers say people treated for colon cancer can greatly reduce their risk of death and of the cancer progressing, by living more healthfully. The study was released just before the yearly gathering of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the world’s largest organization of clinical cancer professionals.  Harvard University in Massachusetts questioned 1,000 advanced colon cancer patients across the United States. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) examined their answers. The researchers began examining the volunteers at 13 medical centers between 1999 and 2001. The patients were followed for seven years. Twice during the study, they were asked if their lifestyle followed prevention suggestions from the American Cancer Society. These guidelines include keeping a healthy weight, eating many fruits and vegetables, limiting intake of red and processed meats and exercising on a regular basis. Only nine percent of the patients in the study followed the guidelines. Those patients had a 42 percent lower risk of death compared to the patients who did not follow the guidelines.  The risk of a return of the cancer was also 31 percent lower among the group that followed the guidelines. In the study, colon cancer returned in 335 patients, 256 of whom died from the disease. Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death. Erin Van Blarigan of UCSF was the lead investigator. She said people who are treated for colon cancer are living longer than ever before. But she says many more can survive colon cancer if they begin living a healthy lifestyle after identification and treatment of the disease. I’m Jonathan Evans.   VOA Health Correspondent Jessica Berman reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   advanced - adj. beyond the basic level lifestyle - n. a particular way of living; the way a person lives or a group of people live processed - adj. something changed from one form into another by preparing, handling, or treating it in a special way​

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Everyday Grammar: Always

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Study: More Female College Students Than Ever Identify As Liberal

The victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election came as a surprise to many people in the United States. Most political observers predicted Trump would lose the election to Hillary Clinton. But he won, in large part because of older male voters. However, other groups did not share in that support. One of them was American college students, mostly female students. In fact, a new study found that more first-year female students at U.S. colleges and universities now identify themselves as liberal than ever before. It also suggests the difference in the number of all first-year female and male students identifying as liberal is the biggest ever measured. The study comes from the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, the University of California in Los Angeles. Researchers launched the study in 1966. They ask first-time, full-time students at four-year colleges and universities around the country about different subjects. Last year, the study gathered information from over 137,000 students at 184 different schools. One of the subjects the study asks about is U.S. politics. The study asks college students to identify themselves politically in one of five groupings. They are liberal; extreme liberal or “far left”; conservative; extreme conservative or “far right”; and moderate or “middle of the road.” Since the beginning of the study, moderate students have always been, and still are, the largest group. But in 2016, 41.1 percent of the female students in the study identified themselves as liberal or far left. This is the largest percentage of young women identifying as liberal in the over 50 year history of the study. By comparison, just 28.9 percent of males identified their political thinking as liberal or far left. Around 27 percent of male students and about 18 percent of female students identified themselves as conservative or far right. Why the difference? Kevin Eagan is an assistant professor at UCLA. He also is the managing director of the Higher Education Research Institute. He says the number of female college students identifying as liberal has been rising since the 1990s. ​There have been periods when male students were more liberal than females, such as during the 1960s and 1970s. But Eagan notes the number of young people identifying with one party over another has a lot to do with the politicians who represent those parties. For example, the Republican Party chose former California governor Ronald Reagan as its presidential candidate in 1980. Reagan was elected and served eight years in the White House. Information collected during that period showed large decreases in the number of liberal college students. Kevin Eagan believes that many young women likely identified with Hillary Clinton last year because she was a woman. Clinton was the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, which has supported more liberal policies in recent years than the Republicans. Eagan says Trump also likely pushed women to the left through his actions and statements about women. For example, during the 2016 election campaign, news media uncovered a recording of Trump from several years earlier. In the recording, he made jokes about inappropriate contact with woman. Several other women came forward and accused him of sexual wrongdoing. Trump and his campaign denied the sexual misconduct claims. "With a candidate last year on the Republican side who was characterized by the media, perhaps rightfully so, as misogynistic and not really supportive of women … I think that that just served to exacerbate this trend that we’re seeing related to women … shifting their political perspectives." But college student Nesha Ruther says she does not identify as liberal simply because the more liberal presidential candidate was a woman. Ruther is from Takoma Park, Maryland. She began taking classes at the University of Wisconsin in 2016. She is a registered Democrat. Ruther wanted Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders to serve as the party’s candidate last November. She says she did so because of his support of issues like ending police violence against African Americans and raising taxes on the wealthy. After Sanders lost the nomination to Clinton, Ruther grew concerned about Trump’s calls to limit public money for healthcare services that mainly serve women. She also opposed his calls to restrict medical operations for ending a pregnancy. So the Maryland woman supported Clinton’s candidacy. Ruther argues that many women choose to identify as liberal because of their position on issues that most affect them. This includes making sure women are paid the same as men for the same work, and that women should be included in making decisions on rules affecting reproductive health. "In this day and age, liberalism … is more appealing to women because it is a movement that is for progress. So it’s not the way things have been previously, and in that way it is more geared towards the empowerment of women, the increased social mobility of women." Changes over time Hans Noel teaches political science at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He notes that liberals are not the majority among American women. ​In fact, the Washington Post newspaper reported that 61 percent of white women without a college degree voted for Trump. But many more young women in recent years identify themselves as feminists and support politicians who support women’s rights. Noel says the political right in the U.S. has grown increasingly conservative, especially on issues like access to birth control. And the political left has grown more feminist. "What it means to be liberal, conservative, what it means to be Democratic or Republican, it evolves and changes. And it’s not like that suddenly being liberal has been pro-feminist, suddenly. That’s been around for a while. But that certainly has been a highlighted issue in the last several years, and particularly the last election." Noel adds that colleges and universities are often places that support more liberal ways of thinking. And it is almost natural that young women would side with whatever political movement they feel most supports their needs. But he says the most important thing to consider is not their political opinions, but whether or not younger Americans will vote in elections. People between 18 and 35 years old represent 31 percent of the voters nationwide. But only about half of them voted in 2016. I’m Pete Musto. And I'm Dorothy Gundy.   Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Who do you think identifies more as liberal in your country: men or women? What about as conservative? Why? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   inappropriate – adj. not right or suited for some purpose or situation misconduct – n. behavior or activity that is illegal or morally wrong characterize(d) – v. to describe the character or special qualities of someone or something misogynistic – adj. the quality a man who hates women exacerbate – v. to make a situation or problem more intense trend – n. a general direction of change shift(ing) – v. to change or to cause something to change to a different opinion or belief perspective(s) – n. a way of thinking about and understanding something geared toward (s) – p.v. to make something a match for a particular use or type of person social mobility – n. the movement of individuals, families, households, or other categories of people within or between different levels of power, privilege, opportunity or wealth in a group of people in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values feminist(s) – n. a person who believes the that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities highlight(ed) – v. to make or try to make people notice or be aware of someone or something

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US and China Increase Arts and Education Ties

Tensions between the American and Chinese governments and their militaries are not uncommon. But the relationship between the two countries is improving in some areas such as the arts and education. Supporters of this growing relationship believe this is producing economic and cultural benefits for citizens of both countries. Opponents in the United States, however, see it as dangerous. Susan Pertel Jain is the executive director of the University of California, Los Angeles Confucius Institute. She says American parents want their children to learn Chinese. “If they know Chinese, if they know English, if they have some cultural experience, international experience -- that can really put them in a different place.” China has been paying for Chinese language and culture programs through the Confucius Institutes. Carol Chen teaches Mandarin immersion classes to kindergarten students at Broadway elementary school, a public school in Los Angeles. She says the University of California, Los Angeles Confucius Institute has been a good resource for her school. “One of the years, they actually brought in Chinese folk culture tradition to the campus.” China has opened almost 500 Confucius Institutes throughout the world. Most of them are on university campuses. Perry Link, of the University of California, Riverside has been a long-time critic of China’s efforts. He says Confucius Institutes are an example of China’s soft power. “Hard power is military things. Soft power is cultural or educational things that cause people in other countries to view one’s own country in a more friendly way.” Link says having Confucius Institutes on university campuses is troubling because it limits academic freedom to discuss China’s human rights issues. “It’s induced self-censorship -- that is ‘We are going to give you these funds and you can invite speakers about China and the fund comes from Beijing and you know that and we know that.’ Now, as the director of a Confucius Institute, do you think ‘Oh, I’ll invite the Dalai Lama’ to speak? No. Of course you don’t do that…Beijing wishes the Confucius Institutes would completely grab everyone’s sympathies and attention. I don’t think that’s happened.” But Susan Pertel Jain says the institute does not censor itself. “Whether it’s artists that we present there who were active in sort of (an) anti-government movement or whether it’s the screening of films that are maybe not officially approved by the government, we don’t shy away from that, but what we always tell our colleagues in China is that we promise to always present everything in a fair and balanced way.” I’m Mario Ritter.   VOA Correspondent Elizabeth Lee reported this story from Los Angeles. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   benefit – n. a good or helpful effect immersion – adj. to be completely involved in some activity resource – n. something that provides money or other needed things induce – v. to cause to do something sympathies – n. a feeling that a person cares about something censor – v. to remove things that are considered wrong screen – v. to watch a movie or video shy away – v. to avoid something because of nervousness  

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Tech Companies Work to Create New, Plant-Based Food

  Jeremy Coller likes alternative protein foods because he thinks the world may not be able to produce enough meat in the future. Coller is head of Coller Capital, a financial investment service. It has been investing in technology companies, especially those developing products to take the place of meat. Businesses are using science to study the molecular structure of meat and other animal products, such as cheese and eggs. Researchers think that it is possible to recreate the taste and the way these foods feel in your mouth by using plants like soybeans, peas and beets. Coller says the Earth is running out of land farmers can use to raise cattle and other animals for food. Two companies exploring alternative protein foods are Beyond Meat and Hampton Creek. Hampton Creek Josh Tetrick started Hampton Creek. His company uses robots to study plants from all over the world. If the plants have the same building blocks as some proteins, they might one day be used in food products like a plant-based butter, mayonnaise or even cake. “We’re able to identify relationships between what we see on a molecular level and whether it causes a cake to rise or what makes a mayo taste good or whether it binds a cookie together or makes a nice creamy butter.”  Chris Jones is head of product development at Hampton Creek. Jones compared what he does to walking on the moon. “We’re doing things no one has ever done before, so it’s challenging.”  Jim Flatt is the company’s chief of research and development. He said recent progress in technology has made their work possible. Josh Tetrick believes fewer people will go hungry if businesses like his produce more high-protein foods made from plants. Products from Hampton Creek are sold at stores in the United States, Mexico and Hong Kong. Beyond Meat Many people love to eat hamburgers. But they are not interested in eating a burger made from soybeans. But what if the beans looked and tasted like real, red meat? ​That is what Beyond Meat is exploring. Beyond Meat uses protein from soy and yellow peas. It uses beets for the red color usually found in beef. The food scientists look at the structures of meat and then look for plants with a similar structure. Ethan Brown, the founder of Beyond Meat, said his company is trying to replicate animal muscle. Years ago, many people in Asia, Africa and India did not eat much meat, but Brown said that is changing. “I don’t think, as a globe, we can afford that,” he said. Beyond Meat sells its patty products in Hong Kong and the U.S. Tetrick of Hampton Creek said the biggest issue in the alternative protein business is clear. “How do we figure out a way to make food healthier, that’s more sustainable, to actually taste good, that’s actually affordable for everyone?” I’m Dan Friedell.   Elizabeth Lee wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow as the editor. Are you interested in tasting these new proteins? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   alternative – adj. not usual or traditional; of or relating to a choice creamy – adj. thick and smooth replicate – v. to repeat or copy (something) exactly building block – n. part of a building or structure; something necessary for a larger being or thing afford – v. being able to pay for something patty – n. a small, flat piece of food sustainable – adj. relating to a method of harvesting in which the crop is not permanently damaged or destroyed  

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